1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to separating and orienting apparatus, and particularly to a combined vibratory feeder drive unit, vibratory feeder bowl, and parts separator arranged for receiving springs and springlike parts in bulk, unoriented, and tangled condition and untangling the springs and other parts and subsequently orienting same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices are known which take tangled articles such as springs, lamp filaments, and the like, and untangle and orient the articles so as to present same in a predetermined arrangement facilitating use of the articles in subsequent manufacturing operations. Examples of such prior art devices may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,760,679, issued Aug. 28, 1956 to J. J. Chadderton et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,042,181, issued July 3, 1962 to W. E. Rise. Basically, both of these prior art devices employ specially constructed housings combining the separator and feeding and orienting bowl into a single, integral unit. More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 2,760,679 employs pneumatic power to separate tangled parts by arranging a mixing chamber of the separator directly beneath a vibratory bowl and blowing the parts up through the center of the bowl in a chute that acts to deflect the separated parts back into the feeder bowl for orientation. This technique of using a fluid flow to achieve separation of the parts is disadvantageous in that it is incapable of separating springs and springlike parts that are wound into each other. Further, the manner in which the parts are deflected into the feeder bowl may cause the parts to become reentangled, while the funnel passing upwardly through the feeder bowl could conceivably cause jamming problems. Patent No. 3,042,181 discloses a tangled spring separator wherein the springs and similar parts are fed into a vibratory bowl in which is arranged at a point spaced from the parts intake opening a multi-blade rotor. An inherent disadvantage to this known arrangement, however, is that the arrangement of the rotor within the feed bowl makes it possible for a part struck by the blade to strike other parts in the bowl and become re-entangled, as well as to strike parts on the track of the bowl and knock the already arranged parts on the track into the bottom of the bowl. Further, it is possible that the parts being untangled and oriented may become caught between the rotor and the bottom of the feeder bowl.